A Battle of Wits
by theycallmemissweasley
Summary: Ron does not see that Hermione has feelings for him, so Hermione decides to take matters into her own hands. Attempting to make Ron jealous, Hermione wins the hearts of two of Hogwarts' finest, who really have a thing for each other. R/Hr. Hr/D. H/Hr. D/H
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I do not own any of these characters! They are all owned by Ms. JK Rowling.

**Chapter One: The Fight.**

"The next time you decide that you want me to do your potions essay for you, Ronald, maybe you should also make the decision to actually ask nicely for once, instead of automatically assuming I'm going to do it for you, no matter how you ask."

Hermione Granger stormed out of the Gryffindor common room, leaving behind a baffled Ron Weasley. She couldn't believe he had the nerve to ask when she expected to be finished with his potions essay. It had been assigned _today_. He hadn't even asked her formally, nor had he given any indication that he would. He had just assumed. She wasn't having it this time. No. No matter how in love she was with him, she was NOT going to be the one to do his homework for him. He needed to learn one way or another.

She sighed heavily as she fell onto her bed. She buried her face in her pillow as tears started to form in her eyes. She was in love with Ronald Weasley, and she couldn't tell whether or not he returned her feelings. She had given him so many opportunities to finally admit it, and he had dismissed every single one of them. Even after the whole incident with Lavender in the hospital wing, Ron was still not admitting to his true feelings. Well, if there were any true feelings. Maybe he really didn't love her back, and she was just delirious.

Hermione was sobbing so loudly that she didn't hear Ginny walk into the room. When Ginny saw her friend crying, she didn't know what to do. She didn't want to disturb her, but she also didn't want to have to fall asleep to the sound of Hermione crying. Hermione was a particularly loud crier. There was no way Ginny would be able to fall asleep to _that_.

Ginny decided to console Hermione. She didn't particularly care as to why Hermione was crying; she just really needed some sleep.

"Hermione?" Ginny said just loud enough for the crying girl to hear.

"Oh, Ginny." Hermione looked up, startled. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Hermione tried to force a smile, "I'm so sorry. I didn't hear you come in."

"It's okay! I kind of snuck in; I thought maybe you might be asleep. I guess I was wrong." Ginny smiled back, approaching her crying friend, "Why are you crying?"

Hermione didn't want to tell Ginny about her obvious infatuation with Ginny's brother, but she didn't know what else she could say she was crying about. She took a deep breath and looked at Ginny sincerely, "I don't know what to do about Ron."

"Ron?" Ginny asked, pretending to be surprised. She had known that Hermione had a thing for her brother ever since her first year at Hogwarts. There was no question that Hermione and Ron were meant for each other, but Ron was too thick to see that and Hermione was too stubborn to show him. "Why in Dumbledore's name would you be crying over Ron?"

"Because…" Hermione paused. She was really surprised that Ginny didn't know she was in love with Ron. She didn't know whether or not she should continue. Instead of answering, she avoided eye contact with Ginny, and looked down at her pillow once more.

"Oh." Ginny said, still pretending to be confused. "You have feelings for him?"

"More than that." Hermione mumbled into her pillow. Reluctantly, she pulled her head up, "I'm in love with Ron."

Ginny gasped, "Really, now? You're in love with my brother? That's quite a surprise. Tell me, how did that one happen?"

Hermione could hear the sarcasm in Ginny's voice. "So you knew all along?"

Ginny nodded. "I knew all along."

Hermione groaned. "So what do I do, Ginny? What do I do to make him see how much I love him? How do I make him want me?"

"You really want me to answer that?" Ginny asked. Hermione nodded. "Well, you can't MAKE Ron do anything. It has to just come kind of naturally. But honestly, if you want to speed things up a little… you could always… you know, make him jealous."

"Jealous?" Hermione laughed. "How would I ever possibly be able to make Ronald Weasley jealous?"

"By flirting with other guys?" Ginny rolled her eyes at her older friends' cluelessness. Really, Hermione was the smartest witch of their generation, but sometimes she could be a bit of an idiot.

"Flirting with other guys, huh." Hermione repeated. Her mind started to wander. Who could she possibly flirt with to make Ron Weasley jealous? Sure there were a couple of obvious boys she could flirt with: Seamus, Dean, Neville. But Ron would never actually believe that Hermione would ever go for any of the obvious choices. No, she was going to have to go hardcore with this. She was going to have to find out who Ron would find most repulsing for Hermione to flirt with.

"I'm going to bed now, Hermione." Ginny said from across the room, "Uh, hope you feel better and stuff."

"Thanks, Gin. Goodnight." Hermione said, laying her head back down on the pillow. She closed her eyes and went through all of the boys she knew at Hogwarts, trying to pick the best person to flirt with to make Ron jealous.

And then it hit her.

"Yes!" She yelped. It was perfect! She smiled to herself and allowed the dream world to consume her. Tomorrow, she would launch her plan. Tomorrow, she would begin her journey to winning Ron Weasley's heart.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Thank you guys so much for the positive response! Unfortunately, I think Chapter Two might be kind of a let down, but I tried to make it as short and sweet as possible. The plot will start unraveling come Chapter Three, I suppose. Oh, and also- I do not own any of these wonderful characters. They are the pride and joy of my most admired author- J.K Rowling. Obviously.

**Chapter Two.**

Ron wasn't sure why Hermione was mad at him, but there wasn't really much he could do about it. She was always mad at him for some reason or another. He sighed as he slumped further into the couch in the Gryffindor common room.

"Can you explain to me what just happened?" Ron asked skeptically. Harry, who had been in the common room throughout his best friends' entire fight, didn't even bother to look up from his potions essay. He shrugged his shoulders and continued working.

"I really don't understand Hermione sometimes, you know? It's like she's constantly trying to get into a fight with me for no good reason. Sometimes I wonder if she just does it for the attention. I mean, not that I wouldn't give her attention anyway. But it's like she has to go on and on about absolutely nothing and-"

"Kind of like what you're doing right now?" Harry said, interrupting Ron's pathetic monologue. Harry had heard Ron ramble on about Hermione for as long as he could remember. He was just not in the mood to deal with Ron's incessant mumbling.

Ron nodded solemnly and pretended to be taken with a particular piece of parchment that happened to be sticking out of his potions book. The silence could have been cut with a knife. Harry could tell he had hurt his oldest friend's feelings. He patiently put down his quill and looked at Ron.

"Look, Ron." He started, "Obviously, there is something between you and Hermione. Don't deny it, I see the way you look at her. It's rather obvious, mate. Anyway, you need to tell her how you feel. If you don't, she's going to move on and you're just going to be left broken hearted. And we don't want a broken hearted Ron, right? Because I have a feeling broken heated Ron would be worse than Broken Hearted Lavender, and we _really_ don't want that, do we now?"

Ron was taken aback. "I do NOT like Hermione Granger." His face turned red.

Harry laughed at his friend's embarrassment, "Really, Ron. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. Sure, she may have been a bit of an ugly duckling at first, but Hermione is gorgeous. I would go for her if I didn't like… well, anyway, you should seriously ask her on a date. She likes you, you know."

"No, she doesn't," said a voice from the stairwell. Harry and Ron looked up to see Ginny walking down from the girls' corridor, "I've only just spoken with her. "

"Uh, Ginny… weren't you just going to bed?" asked Harry quietly. He glared at his best friend's sister through his glasses. She didn't seem to be bothered at all by it.

"Yeah, I was going to. But then Hermione was crying and whatnot and I couldn't get to sleep. I decided I'd come down here and hang out with you two. I mean, if that's all right with you?" She looked at Harry skeptically. Harry nodded.

"What do you mean Hermione was crying?" Ron asked, a worried look crossing his face.

"What does it matter to you, Ron? You don't like her, right?" Harry teased. Ron scowled at him, but then turned his attention to his sister.

"She was crying because…" Just then, an idea popped into Ginny Weasley's head.

Hermione wanted to make Ron jealous. Who better to make Ron jealous with than someone he absolutely detested? Someone he abhorred? That way, he couldn't talk to said person about Hermione, and couldn't ask him questions. It was perfect.

"Hermione was crying because apparently, she is really torn up about what to do about her…well, situation." Ginny smiled.

"Situation?" Ron and Harry both spoke at the same time.

"Yeah. Haven't you guys heard? Hermione has a crush on Draco Malfoy."

Ron's face turned a bright scarlet red. Ginny had only seen his face turn that color once, and that was at the Yule Ball when Hermione had walked in with Viktor Krum. He was pissed. Harry had a look about his face that Ginny could not quite identify. It looked as if he was experiencing a mixture of jealousy, hatred, confusion and hurt. Ginny brushed it off and returned to looking at her brother.

"Draco Malfoy, you say?" Ron mumbled.

"Yeah. I can't believe you guys haven't heard." Another silence.

"Well, fine," Ron spoke up, "If Hermione wants to date a narcissistic arse, then by all means, I'll let her. He's only going to break her heart in the end, anyway. I mean, bloody hell! Harry thinks Draco's a DEATH EATER! You would think that THAT would be a red flag in itself!"

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know, Ron." She yawned, as if she was bored, "But, I'm going to try and go to bed again. Maybe she's stopped crying. Goodnight, you two." She made her way towards the girls' dormitory once more.

Ron and Harry sat in silence for a good fifteen minutes before Ron stalked off towards the boy's dormitory, still fuming.

And Harry? Well, he couldn't help but feel a huge void in his heart. Why had the news that Hermione liked Draco Malfoy made him feel this way? He didn't understand. He walked somberly towards the boys' dormitory and sighed when he opened the door. Surely he didn't have feelings for Hermione Granger. Or did he?


End file.
